Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Nigeria Customs Service Tin Can Island port command says it collected over N274.3 billion between January and June this year, representing a 27.50 percent increase from N229.3 billion collected in the corresponding period of 2021.
Addressing newsmen on Friday, Controller of the command, Comptroller Adekunle Oloyede said export through the Tin Can Island port also rose by 73 percent to 138,246.50 metric tons in the first half of the year. According to him, the export cargo had over N100.45 billion in free on board (FOB), representing a 60 percent increase from N66.29 billion recorded on the 100,500 metric tons of export cargo throughput in the same period of 2021.
Oloyede also commended the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for creating a seamless collaboration that facilitated the clearance of export cargo at the Tin-Can Island Port command.
On enforcement and anti-smuggling activities, he added that the command made various seizures and detentions with a Duty Paid Value of over N1.3billion.
The breakdown of the seizures includes: 145kg of Colorado Indian Hemp concealed in two units of Ridgeline trucks and two units of Toyota Corolla vehicles; 206,000 pieces of machetes; 640 bales of used clothes; 236,500 pieces of used shoes; 62,500 pieces of new lady’s shoes; 1,670,400 pieces of chloroquine injections; 1,814,400 pieces of Novalgin injection; 48,850 rolls of cigarettes and 23,800 tins of sodium bromate and baking powder.
Others are 3,303 pieces of motor batteries found in three containers falsely declared as three units of used Toyota Hiace buses; four units of used Mack truck heads; one unit of used Toyota Sequoia 2008 model; one unit of used Mercedes Benz GL450 2008 model, and one unit of used 2011 Toyota 4 Runner.
The Customs boss explained that the seized and detained items contravened sections 46, 47 and 161 of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) CAP 45 of 2004.
He also disclosed that a syndicate which comprises four clearing agents who specialise in forging his signature has been arrested.
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Oloyede explained that luck ran out of the four clearing agents when they attempted to take imported vehicles out of the port using forged signatures.
“You know that the signature aspect of the clearance procedure has not been automated. Very soon, we will be automating that aspect too.
“It’s because the signature aspect of the clearance procedure has not been automated, these unscrupulous agents, four in number, attempted to clear some imported vehicles out of the port with my forged signature.
“Thanks to eagle-eyed customs officials who detected and arrested them. Four units of used Mack truck heads, one unit of used Toyota Sequoia 2008 model, one unit of used Mercedes: Benz GL450 2008 model and one unit of used 2011 Toyota 4Runner were arrested in their possession.
“It was the case with the “Machine Outside” era, but when we automated our processes, that stopped. Now, when these unscrupulous agents saw that automation has stopped the “Machine outside” activities, they now shifted attention to forging of signatures.”
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